The objection is almost always the same. A senior leader is asked about building a public profile and pictures a feed of motivational posts, selfies at conferences and opinions delivered with more confidence than the subject deserves.
That is one model. It is not the only one, and for most executives it is the wrong one.
It is also a model that travels badly. African executives operating across several markets are usually read first by people who have never met them and have little context for the business. What those people are looking for is not personality. It is evidence of judgement.
Two different things
Influence is built on frequency and personality. Authority is built on judgement and specificity. They look similar from outside and are almost opposite in practice.
Nobody needs another executive with opinions. Markets are short of executives who will show their reasoning.
An influencer is known for being visible. An authority is known for being right about something particular. The second is slower, far more durable, and considerably more comfortable for people who do not enjoy performing.
What the quieter model looks like
- Publish rarely and substantially, rather than constantly and thinly.
- Write about the decisions you actually make, not the industry in general.
- Show the reasoning, including what you got wrong, which is the part nobody else publishes.
- Stay inside your competence. Authority does not transfer between subjects.
- Let the work be the evidence. You do not have to claim expertise you can demonstrate.
Why it is worth the effort
In categories where buyers cannot assess capability in advance, they assess judgement instead. A leader whose thinking is visible gives them something to assess.
The practical results are unglamorous and compounding. Enquiries arrive already agreeing with your framing. Conversations start further along. Senior candidates apply because they want to work with a specific mind. Speaking invitations replace business development.
A realistic commitment
Six pieces a year, each one answering a question you have already answered privately more times than you can count. That is enough to build a public record of how you think.
It is also achievable alongside running an organisation, which a content calendar is not.
